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# Summary Battle Rules v2.0

#### by Dion Scher

The copyright of this article remains with the original author. Articles may be copied or distributed freely for personal non-profit use, provided that the author is properly credited.

This battle system is for use in a large scale battle situation. When the characters are involved in a battle and the GM does not wish to roll for each and every combat and combatant, these rules will come in handy.

Terminology:

Large Scale Battle

- Greater than 50 people in the entire battle.

Small Scale Battle

- Less than or equal to 50 people in the entire battle.

Battle Round -

A round of battle. Approximately 1 day for a large scale battle, small scale battles can be handled on a standard Ars Magica round-by-round basis. Version 2 of the combat system brings the two scales of battle closer together, for a more generic system, i.e. one set of rules accomodates both scenarios.

Procedure:

Leadership is very important on the battlefield. A strong or weak leader can swing a battle. Therefore the Leadership skill of the leader of a unit influences the outcome of that battle round.

Regardless of whether the battle is classed as a large or small scale battle, the procedures are identical. The only thing that changes is the way damage is dealt.

1. Calculate Point Value of Units

This system uses the approach that a man is worth a particular point cost, i.e. a knight is worth more in battle than a grog. The opponents tally up their army values. Army values are synonymous with hit points.

Point Values of Men:

Battle Role | Point Value per Person
Point Guard | 1
Shield Grog | 1
Knight (On foot) | 3
Knight (Mounted) | 5
Elite Infantry | 2
Rabble or Peasants | 0.1
Legendary Knight | 10
Archer (distanced) | 1
Archer (melee) | 0.25
Longbow | 5
Monsters | Whatever you like

2. Apply Other Modifiers

I have not detailed Other Modifiers as they are so subjective. They could include Strategic Advantage (position, landscape), Superior Armaments, Psychology (morale), Magic, Weather, etc . . .

3. Outnumbering

Based on army point values and not the actual man count:

2:1 | +3
5:1 | +6

4. Leadership Rolls

Leaders make an opposed Leadership test [LEADERSHIP + COMMUNICATION + STRESS DIE].

(I have opted for a system whereby the higher the roll, the greater the damage dealt by a side.)

Your Roll (across): Opponent's Roll (down): | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 21
3 | 10/10 | 20/10 | 40/10 | 60/10 | 80/10 | 100/10 | 100/0
6 | 10/20 | 10/10 | 20/10 | 40/10 | 60/10 | 80/10 | 100/10
9 | 10/40 | 10/20 | 10/10 | 20/10 | 40/10 | 60/10 | 80/10
12 | 10/60 | 10/40 | 10/20 | 10/10 | 20/10 | 40/10 | 60/10
15 | 10/80 | 10/60 | 10/40 | 10/20 | 10/10 | 20/10 | 40/10
18 | 10/100 | 10/80 | 10/60 | 10/40 | 10/20 | 10/10 | 20/10
21 | 0/100 | 10/100 | 10/80 | 10/60 | 10/40 | 10/20 | 10/10

The first number is the % losses to your opponent. The second number is the % losses to your side.

What happens if I botch?

You can roleplay it or treat the roll as a 3.

5. Take the Pain

Now the entities must soak the damage. All damage is considered simultaneous as the two entities exchange many blows.

Damage is dealt in Army Value points and each point lost is a man point lost. For example, 10 points lost could be 10 soldiers or 2 mounted knights.

Partial points (fractions) are rounded to the nearest unit.

- Small Scale = Part damage is dealt in wounds. For example, with 5 mounted knights at 25 point values, if I took 6 points of damage, by the end of the battle round I would have lost 1 knight and 1 would be wounded. He will have lost 1/5 of his wounds.
- Large Scale = There is no part damage.

6. Rout Roll

Each leader must now roll a [LEADERSHIP + PRESENCE + STRESS DIE] to avoid his party routing. The target number is based on % accumulated losses :

Percentage Lost | Target Number | Difficulty of Task
0% | No Roll | Very Easy
10% | No Roll | Average
20% | 9 | Difficult
30% | 12 | Very Tough
40% | 15 | Extremely Difficult
> 50 % | 18 | Almost Impossible
> 90 % | 21 | Impossible
100% | Who's left to rout? |

Routed units flee the battlefield in a random direction. They are panicked and filled with nothing but an urgent desire for survival. Logic does not enter their vocabulary. A routed unit may be treated as having the same mentality as that of a frightened animal. They will flee until danger is no longer imminent. If trapped a routed unit will try to surrender. If surrender is not an option they will fight and then only at 50% of their ability.

Examples of Combat:

Small Scale Battle:

Baron Duscard has 10 mounted knights and has decided to vanquish the sinister heathen Elhazad and his band of 20 blood-thirsty scimitar-wielding madmen.

The Baron has a Leadership of 4. Elhazad has a Leadership of 2.

Both have a Communication of 3.

Step 1: Calculate Point values of men

Duscard = 10 mounted knights * 5 points per knight = 50 points

Elhazad = 20 soldiers * 1 point each = 20 points

Step 2: Apply other modifiers

I decide to give Elhazad's men a +1 to their roll for being religious fanatics.

Step 3: Leadership Rolls

Leadership Total of Duscard = Com 3 + Leadership 4 + roll of 5 = 12

Leadership Total of Elhazad = Com 3 + Leadership 2 + roll of 7 + Other Mod of 1 = 13

According to the table this means that they are equal as the highest target number either has rolled is 12. Therefore both take casualties of 10%.

Step 4: Take the Pain

Duscard takes 5 points of casualties.

Elhazad takes 2 points of casualties.

Duscard has now lost a knight since 1 knight = 5 points.

Elhazad has lost 2 men since 1 soldier = 1 point.

(Had Duscard lost 8 points and the battle ended there, he would have had to lose a knight and one of his men would be injured with 3 wounds.)

Step 5: Rout Roll

Neither needs to roll for a rout as both sides only took 10% losses.

Large Scale Battle:

Baron Duscard has 100 soldiers and 5 mounted knights.

Elhazad and his band are 120 blood-thirsty scimitar-wielding madmen.

The Baron has a Leadership of 4. Elhazad has a Leadership of 2.

Both have a Communication of 3.

Step 1: Calculate Point values of men

Duscard = 5 mounted knights * 5 points per knight + 100 soldiers * 1 point per soldier = 125 points

Elhazad = 120 soldiers * 1 point each = 120 points

Step 2: Apply other modifiers

I decide to give Elhazad's men a +1 to their roll for being religious fanatics.

Step 3: Leadership Rolls

Leadership Total of Duscard = Com 3 + Leadership 4 + roll of 8 = 15

Leadership Total of Elhazad = Com 3 + Leadership 2 + roll of 5 + Other Mod of 1 = 11

According to the table this means that Duscard does 40% damage to his opponent's army, but Elhazad only does 10%.

Step 4: Take the Pain

Duscard takes 12.5 points of casualties - rounded to 13.

Elhazad takes 48 points of casualties.

Duscard has now lost 13 soldiers or 2 knights and 3 soldiers.

Elhazad has lost 48 of his good men.

Step 5: Rout Roll

Duscard - No roll is necessary since he only lost 10% of his men.

Elhazad - Elhazad lost 40% of his men. This means he has to roll a 15 or above or his army routs. He rolls a 15, just scraping in (Presence 3 + Leadership 2 + Roll of 9 + 1 for fanatic).

"Today is a good day to die! Allah be praised!"